Many people work hard to attain sobriety and worry that they will relapse after recovery. To overcome those cravings, apply the coping mechanisms that you learn in an alcohol addiction treatment center such as the one at Bayview Recovery in Tacoma, WA. We believe that knowing the triggers of drinking may help you avoid situations that threaten your sobriety.

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Why It’s Important to Understand Drinking Triggers

The triggers of drinking vary from person to person. However, there are common trends that typically cause relapses. For the newly sober, these events can precipitate self-destructive actions. Knowing these causes can help you learn to deal with them more effectively. Being able to manage your triggers can be key to sustaining a successful recovery.

Triggers of Drinking

Everyone experiences different triggers as they go through the recovery process. Here are some of the causes blamed for relapses in the past:

Selfishness
Character Defects
Poor Self-control
Immorality

Whether a person with substance abuse disorder has these character flaws or not, they don’t adequately account for why someone might relapse.

What Really Causes a Relapse?

Withdrawal symptoms, peer pressure, emotional distress, and testing boundaries can lead to a relapse. These triggers of drinking can cause harmful behavior that may lead back to addiction if you don’t keep them in check.

Withdrawal Symptoms

When you stop drinking, you may experience shakiness, tremors, anxiety, nausea, irritability, fatigue, and headaches. These symptoms occur during detox and to a lesser extent throughout recovery and beyond. If you experience these symptoms outside the supervised environment at Bayview Recovery, you might decide to drink to alleviate the symptoms.

Our mindfulness meditation therapy program provides skills that you can use to stay calm and redirect your thoughts to avoid a relapse. Strong physiological and psychological cravings may continue to challenge you through your long-term recovery efforts. Attending AA meetings and leaning on your sponsor can help you get through these challenging times.

Emotional Distress

When you feel distressed, you may turn to alcohol as a crutch. However, it’s important to remember what you learned in recovery and put it to use to maintain your sobriety. Our group therapy program lets clients learn to share their thoughts and feelings with others struggling to escape their dependence on alcohol. These skills help you maximize opportunities presented through organizations such as AA.

Peer Pressure

In order to avoid one of the most challenging triggers of drinking, you may need to reevaluate who you spend time with after recovery. If friends or relatives try to talk you into drinking, you may need to find different people to hang out with.

Testing Boundaries

You may decide to test your self-control after you’ve been sober for a while. If you don’t have people around you that will challenge your decisions, this behavior can easily lead to a relapse. Tap into your support system — you’ll learn how to build one in our life skills training program — to overcome these self-destructive urges.

Alcohol Addiction Treatment Program in Tacoma, WA

Alcohol addiction does not discriminate. Anyone can fall victim to addiction in their lives. We offer a number of addiction programs available to those looking to get clean. Some of these programs include:

At Bayview Recovery, we know that a lifelong commitment to sobriety challenges most of our clients. That’s why we do everything in our power to instill a sense of confidence that can help you face these triggers of drinking. Contact us at 855.478.3650 today for more information on how our alcohol addiction treatment program in Tacoma, WA, can help you regain control of your life.